I tend to believe there is something out there for everybody.

A few years ago, in the town I live in, there was a guy, actually a close
friend of my family, who made grandfather clocks........lots of them. Most
everybody in town had one and raved about it. "Just beautiful", they said.
Then, I saw one of his clocks one day.........up close! That was the
roughest grandfather clock I had ever seen. Miter joints with mismatched
wood filler. Mill marks and planer marks all over. Cracks along glue
joints. Screw holes with no screws or a broken off stub. And, to top it
all off, a brushed on finish with dust specks and runs. Generally, his
clocks looked like an elementary school wood shop project gone bad. And,
the guy had a 6 month long waiting list for his clocks. Go figure!

Barry




"Keith Young" wrote in message
...
It is with some interest that i have read comments concerning exacting
specifications for turning projects. At least where I live , to have there
work sold in craft council sponsered stores, one has to pass the minimum
specifications. I certainly have no quarrel with that. I also agree with
the
writer that said quote " let them tell me what they expect and i will
forfill it." As far as I am concerned, Thats what should be done! However
there are establishments that don,t nescessarily recconize these
standards.
And I have no problem with that either. Some of the public like thick
walled
vessels and some don,t. etc.
In my opinion there is room for everybody as there should be.
An intereting comment was made to me at the local craft council
establishment a few years back when I was bring in some of my stuff for
jurying. I really didn,t think my projects where that good as i must have
made a derrogatory comment about them. The young lady said to me quote "
never critize your own work " . Interesting comment as i now believe the
answer may very well that there are plenty of others that will do that for
you.

Now comes the crux of the problem. When attending local woodturning club
meeting , I noticed that at all the show and tells that the products, art,
or whatever that were being displayed seemed alot better than mine.It
takes
considerable stamina to stand up and display a product that at least on
the
surface seems inferior to most others displayed.

One can develop an inferior complex while attending such meetings and
never
believe that the things that he,s spending hours on is worth anything.I
must
clarify and positively state that no single person there said anything
negative about my stuff but incouragement was not offered much either.It
was
at this point I simply asked for the floor and stated that in over a year
attending these meetings I was having a difficult time getting quality
info
from the group.It was as the expression goes " like trying to pull teeth "
At that point one of the woodturners ask me to come to his house and it
was
then that i saw the beal system.
I have given away maybe a hundred or so projects and finally sold one over
xmas. I currently have one on Ebay Item # 8156335032. Its certainly not
for
profit that i have done this but as another step to see if real people
appreciate what one spends many long hour doing.

For example there are collectors that collect art and other thing and
there
main pleasure is to place these away from many people and just admire them
themselves.No problem if that what turns them on.

Turning for one self can get very boring at times. Everyone needs
encouragement

Sincerely
Keith